DumfriesFormer
seaport where Robert
Burns lived before his death in 1796. House
contains personal possessions. Robert Burns Centre recalls his
years in Dumfries and his mausoleum is in St Michael's Churchyard.
Mid Steeple was built in 1707 as courthouse and prison. Bridge
dating from 15th century is oldest of five across River Nith,
and 18th-century windmill contains camera obscura and local
history museum. Old Dumfries.Dumfries Angel.

Tranquillity
abounds along the beautiful Nith and its neighbouring valleys,
hemmed in by the gentle Galloway Hills and the Solway Firth.
The Firth brings a soothing climate to an area where passions
once raged, both the fierce passion of clan battles, and the
romantic passion of ballad poets. Immortalised in stone are
St John the Baptist's chair and the Twelve Apostles.

ArbiglandRhododendrons,
azaleas and camellias in formal and water gardens with Torbay-like
climate. John Paul Jones's Cottage was 1747 birthplace of United
States' first naval commander.

Blowplain
Open FarmGuided
tours show day-to-day life on stock-rearing hill farm set in
rolling countryside.

Broughton
HouseMuseum
and art gallery in elegant Georgian mansion with sheltered gardens
on River Dee. Library has 15,000 books and manuscripts.

Buittle Castle
Although the present castle is only of 16th Century origin, it is built on the site of a much older structure where the ancient Celtic Lords of Galloway had their seat. In 1282 the heiress, Devorgilla, wife of the Norman noble John de Baliol, signed the charter to found Balliol College from the original castle. John de Baliol, known as "Toom Tabard" (empty coat) to his subjects when he became a vassal king of Scotland, was born here in 1249. Two and a half miles north of Buittle Place is the 80 feet Mott of Urr, a well-preserved Saxon or early Norman artificial mound within a fortified enclosure. Located near Dalbeattie.

Caerlaverock Castle
The chief seat of the Maxwell family, and one of the foremost examples of medieval secular architecture in Scotland. It is famous in history and literature through its siege by Edward I in 1300, commemorated in the well-known old French poem, Le Siege de Karlaverok. In 1640 it was captured by the Covenanters and dismantled. The ruins, which stand within a wide moat, include much work of the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries; and the latest building, dating from 1638, is one of the finest examples of early classical Renaissance in Scotland. The shape of the castle is very remarkable, being triangular, like a shield, "with a round tower at each of the two basal angles and a great gatehouse at the apex. Located seven miles south-south-east of Dumfries on the Glencaple road. Caerlaverock Castle.

Cardoness
CastleThis
very well preserved 15th century tower house still has original stairway
and vaulted basement. Cardoness Castle.Castle
DouglasBronze
Age crannogs (artificial islands) among islets of Carling walk
Loch on southern edge of 18th century weaving and carpet-making
centre. Main street has steeple-like clock tower. Old Castle Douglas.

Cauldside
BurnAt
head of Cauldside Burn are Bronze Age remains of two cairns,
two stone circles and large carved stone block. Larger circle,
70ft across, has ten standing stones.

DalbeattieForest
walks start from outskirts of silvery-grey granite town in rolling
countryside.

Drumcoltran Tower
The building is oblong on plan, three storeys high with a garret storey in the roof, all served by a wheel or spiral stair in a projecting square stair tower or wing: a good example of a Scottish tower house of about the middle of the sixteenth century. It is simple and severe; has a slightly overhanging parapet wall supported on projecting corbels. The gables of the typical saddle-backed roof are set back from the parapet wall. Located four and half miles north-east of Dalbeattie, west of the Dumfries road.

Drumlanrig
CastlePink-sandstone
stately home, 17th century, has art collection as well as personal
possessions of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Wooded parkland overlooks
upper Nithsdale and old stables now house visitor and craft
centre.

Dundrennan
AbbeyHandsome
and substantial ruin, founded 1142, where Mary, Queen of Scots
spent last night in Scotland, 1568. Murdered bishop and his
assassin among many fine memorials.

DurisdeerDukes
of Queensberry mausoleum in 17th century Durisdeer Church. Monument
to second duke (died. 1711) and his duchess (died. 1709) has them
reclining beneath columns and flying cherubs.

Ellisland
FarmFarmhouse,
built by Robert Burns when he took farm over in 1788, contains
museum room. The Granary houses display showing Burns as farmer.
Riverside walk. Burns wrote Tam o'Shanter here.

Gatehouse
of FleetFormer
cotton town is now walking and holiday centre on banks of Water
of Fleet. Original gatehouse now houses whitewashed wine bar
and Bobbin Mill Visitor Centre displays local history and recalls
18th century prosperity as cotton town. Old Gatehouse of Fleet.

KippfordVillage,
once smugglers' haunt, now sailing resort, home of Solway Yacht
Club. Houses are mixture of old fishermen's cottages and modern
bungalows and villas. Low-tide walk from pebble beach to Rough
Island bird sanctuary, home of waders, scaups, shelducks and
mergansers. Jubilee Path has views to distant Galloway mountains.

KirkbeanUnusual
domed parish church of well-kept village has 1826 sundial telling
times in such places as Madras, Calcutta and Gibraltar. Font
presented by United States Navy in 1945 to honour its first
naval commander John Paul Jones who was baptised here.

Kirkpatrick
DurhamOrderly
estate village little changed since it was built in 1785, with
50 houses and number of craft workshops.

Lochmaben Castle
A stone castle has existed on this site since 1330: it was in the hands of the English almost continuously between 1290 and 1385, enabling Annandale to be governed almost entirely as an English shire. At one time it was the great castle of the Bruces, Lords of Annandale, where some say the hero king was born and where he spent much of his youth. In those days it was a huge and powerful stronghold covering as much as fifteen acres and with four moats to defend it. It stood intact into the 17th Century, when it was left to fall into ruins. Located nine miles east of Dumfries.

Mabie
ForestViews
of Nithsdale and the Solway Firth can be seen from marked trails
that lead through hillside plantations of fir, spruce, oak and
beech.

Maxwelton
HouseRestored
14th to 15th century house was once home of Annie Laurie, immortalised
in Scottish ballad of same name written by her unsuccessful
suitor, William Douglas, and later revised. In courtyard is
museum of kitchen, dairy and farm implements.

Mote
of MarkExcellently
preserved Celtic hill-fort of 5th or 6th century, one of most
important archaeological sites on Solway Firth. Good views of
Cumbrian Hills.

Mote
of UrrMost
extensive motte-and-bailey castle in Scotland, dating from 12th
century, and built on Saxon or early Norman mound.New
AbbeyGrey
stone riverside village with beautiful ruin of 13th-century
Sweetheart Abbey, where Lady Devorgilla and embalmed heart of
husband Johnde Baliol are buried. Scottish Baronial mansion,
Shambellie House, contains costume museum with women's fashions
from 18th century to Edwardian times. Water-powered corn mill,
dating from 18th century, is in working order.

New
GallowayAngling
centre on River Ken has town hall with high clock tower and
jougs, hinged iron collars in which malefactors were confined.
Carved Adam and Eve stone stands in Kells churchyard.

PalnackieVillage
little changed since days as thriving inland port, with colour-washed
houses around harbour, now silted up. Competitors use bare feet
and spears to catch fish from mud flats in World Flounder Tramping
Championships, off Glen Isle peninsula. Upper floors in two-storey
houses were once lodgings for sailors.Raiders'
RoadTen
mile forest drive beside Black Water of Dee, follows route taken
by armed cattle thieves in SR. Crockett's 1894 novel The Raiders.
Riverside and lochside picnic areas, walks and bronze otter
statue. Open June-September. 20mph speed limit.

Ruthwell Cross
The cross, which has been slightly restored, dates probably from the end of the seventh century. The main faces have figure-sculpture, mostly scriptural scenes, associated with Latin inscriptions, and on the sides are rich vine scrolls with birds and beasts. The quality of the sculpture is of the highest order. On the margins are inscribed, in runes, portions of the famous Old English poem The Dream of the Rood, which has been ascribed to Caedmon. Located in Ruthwell Church, half a mile north of the village and nine miles south-east of Dumfries.

ThornhillVillage
among attractive shallow hills has two boulevards lined with
100 year old lime trees planted by 6th Duke of Buccleuch. Tall
column erected 1714 supports winged horse, emblem of Dukes of
Queensberry. Old Thornhill.

Threave
Garden and Wildfowl RefugeEstate
surrounding Scottish Baronial Threave House has woodland walks
and various gardens including display in spring of 200 daffodil
varieties. Observation points overlook refuge along banks of
River Dee with wild swans, ducks and geese. On island to north-west
is mined Threave Castle, 14th century stronghold of feared Black
Douglases.

TonglandBattlemented
and turreted bridge over River Dee, designed by Thomas Telford
in 18OOs. Guided tours of hydroelectric power station and dam.

Torthorwald Castle stands on a series of early medieval earthworks and was, from at least the mid-13th Century, a stronghold of the Kirkpatricks. In 1418 William de Carleil married the heiress and from then onwards the castle remained mainly in Carlyle hands until 1715.
The present barrel-vaulted remains were built mainly by William, but in 1544 Lord Carlyle looted the castle, taking all its contents in a raid against his sister-in-law. Thirty years later, Michael Carlyle abducted the six-year-old heiress, Elizabeth Carlyle from the castle and for years traded her among rival branches of the family. Located four miles north-east of Dumfries, Scotland.